Cotton yields in China
China: Cotton yields was 6.59 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
6.59 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
1st
of 101 countries
All-time high
6.81 tonnes per hectare
in 2019
All-time low
0.6208 tonnes per hectare
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cotton yields in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cotton yields in China is 6.59 tonnes per hectare, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 50.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cotton yields in China peaked at 6.81 tonnes per hectare in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.6208 tonnes per hectare, in 1961.
China ranks 1st of 101 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cotton yields in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6208 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.644 tonnes per hectare | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 0.8173 tonnes per hectare | +26.9% |
| 1964 | 1.01 tonnes per hectare | +23.8% |
| 1965 | 1.26 tonnes per hectare | +24.5% |
| 1966 | 1.43 tonnes per hectare | +13.2% |
| 1967 | 1.39 tonnes per hectare | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 1.42 tonnes per hectare | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 1.29 tonnes per hectare | -8.8% |
| 1970 | 1.37 tonnes per hectare | +5.8% |
| 1971 | 1.28 tonnes per hectare | -6.2% |
| 1972 | 1.2 tonnes per hectare | -6.5% |
| 1973 | 1.56 tonnes per hectare | +29.6% |
| 1974 | 1.47 tonnes per hectare | -5.3% |
| 1975 | 1.44 tonnes per hectare | -2.1% |
| 1976 | 1.25 tonnes per hectare | -13.2% |
| 1977 | 1.27 tonnes per hectare | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 1.34 tonnes per hectare | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 1.47 tonnes per hectare | +9.8% |
| 1980 | 1.65 tonnes per hectare | +12.5% |
| 1981 | 1.72 tonnes per hectare | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 1.85 tonnes per hectare | +7.8% |
| 1983 | 2.29 tonnes per hectare | +23.6% |
| 1984 | 2.71 tonnes per hectare | +18.5% |
| 1985 | 2.42 tonnes per hectare | -10.8% |
| 1986 | 2.47 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 2.63 tonnes per hectare | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 2.25 tonnes per hectare | -14.4% |
| 1989 | 2.18 tonnes per hectare | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 2.42 tonnes per hectare | +10.8% |
| 1991 | 2.6 tonnes per hectare | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 1.98 tonnes per hectare | -24.0% |
| 1993 | 2.25 tonnes per hectare | +13.7% |
| 1994 | 2.36 tonnes per hectare | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 2.64 tonnes per hectare | +12.0% |
| 1996 | 2.67 tonnes per hectare | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 3.07 tonnes per hectare | +15.2% |
| 1998 | 3.03 tonnes per hectare | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 3.08 tonnes per hectare | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 3.28 tonnes per hectare | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 3.32 tonnes per hectare | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 3.52 tonnes per hectare | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 2.85 tonnes per hectare | -19.1% |
| 2004 | 3.33 tonnes per hectare | +16.8% |
| 2005 | 3.39 tonnes per hectare | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 3.48 tonnes per hectare | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 3.86 tonnes per hectare | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 3.91 tonnes per hectare | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 3.86 tonnes per hectare | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 3.69 tonnes per hectare | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 3.92 tonnes per hectare | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 4.38 tonnes per hectare | +11.6% |
| 2013 | 4.36 tonnes per hectare | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 4.39 tonnes per hectare | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 4.47 tonnes per hectare | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 4.75 tonnes per hectare | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 3.54 tonnes per hectare | -25.5% |
| 2018 | 5.51 tonnes per hectare | +55.9% |
| 2019 | 6.81 tonnes per hectare | +23.6% |
| 2020 | 6 tonnes per hectare | -11.9% |
| 2021 | 5.73 tonnes per hectare | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 6.57 tonnes per hectare | +14.5% |
| 2023 | 6.64 tonnes per hectare | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 6.59 tonnes per hectare | -0.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 6.59 tonnes per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.89 tonnes per hectare, 3.5× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- China's 6.59 tonnes per hectare is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.54 tonnes per hectare, 4.3× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | 0.6208 tonnes per hectare | 1.43 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.37 tonnes per hectare | 1.2 tonnes per hectare | 1.56 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.22 tonnes per hectare | 1.65 tonnes per hectare | 2.71 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.61 tonnes per hectare | 1.98 tonnes per hectare | 3.08 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.48 tonnes per hectare | 2.85 tonnes per hectare | 3.91 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.58 tonnes per hectare | 3.54 tonnes per hectare | 6.81 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3 tonnes per hectare | 5.73 tonnes per hectare | 6.64 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cotton yields in China?
- Cotton yields in China was 6.59 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cotton yields recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 6.81 tonnes per hectare in 2019.
- What is the lowest cotton yields recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6208 tonnes per hectare in 1961.
- How does China rank for cotton yields?
- China ranks 1st out of 101 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cotton yields rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cotton yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.